U.N. report covers human rights violations in North Korea

A report on the “unspeakable atrocities” in North Korea has been drafted with the intent of going to the United Nations around March . The recent stories of inmates in prison camps, many forced to eat rodents to survive, further piqued the concern of inquiry commission members, and helped lead to the ultimate decision that international intervention may be necessary. In August, former regime officials, survivors of political prison camps and others gave testimonies in Seoul and Tokyo about their horrific experiences.

“What we have seen and heard so far — the specificity, detail and shocking character of the personal testimony — appears without doubt to demand follow-up action by the world community, and accountability on behalf of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Michael Kirby, chair of the three-member commission of inquiry, told the U.N.’s Human Rights Council. “The individual testimonies emerging from the public hearings, of which these are just instances, do not represent isolated cases. They are representative of large-scale patterns that may constitute systematic and gross human rights violations,” he added.

Most of the people who have been imprisoned or tortured have expressed religious or political views that are not accepted by North Korean authorities. Others may not even be sure why they are being punished, but it is estimated that around 200,000 people are currently in North Korean prison camps.